Observation screen



vswr; ifowem Oct- 26 1926.

:asoman www oBsEwATIoN SCREEN F'ied April 2, 1924 Lmmer@ Patented oei. 26,'1926. ll.

entre srarssraranroericsjff JOHN I. COPE, OF FAYETTE CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNRTO THE COPE MANIIPAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF DELA- WARE.

OBSERVATION SCREEN.

Application filed April 2, 1921i. Serial No. 703,764.

The present invention relates to improveupon automobiles. the glass or transparent ments in observation screens adaptedto be panel ofthe wind shield being provided placed/in the line of vision between 'a perwith a screen embodying the present insons eye or eyes or other view point and a vention;

source of light for the purposes of prevent- Figure 2 is a diagrammatic viewillustrating glare from such light and of indicating ing the manner in which the light rays from the. relative position or direction of move; the headlights of an approaching automoment of such light, although affording ani-` ,bile are receive-d upon the screen and thereple clear vision to enable objects to be seen sulting visual indications 'on the screen rei therethrough. The invention is more parspecting the position of the approaching ticularly adapted for use on automobiles automobile in a direction laterally of the or other vehicles for the purpose of protectroadway; f

ing the driver or other occupantthereof Figure 3 illustrates the screen asviewed from' the effects of glare of bright or blindin elevation from the rear, villustrating the y I ing headlights on an approaching automobile or vehicle.

A primary object of the invention is to transversely of the roadway and also the provide a screen of the character referred relative distance of the approaching auto- "ff to which is capable of reducing or preventmobile from the screen; and ing glare of bright or strong headlights to Figure Il is a diagrammatic View. illustratthe extent that the blinding effect thereof ingl how the light rays from a headlight is eliminated, although suflicient clear vision pass through. the screen to produce an image is afforded to enable objects to be clearly thereof in the eye of the observerand to seen through the screen.

Another object of the invention is to protive position of the headlight in a direction vide a screen of this character which is laterally of the center of the screen. l capable of indicating visually to an autovSimilar parts are designated by the same mobile driver or occupant looking through reference characters in the several views. the screen the relative position or the direc- Observation screens constructed in accordtion of movement of an approaching autoance with the present invention are applimobile bearing headlights, whereby such cable to all situations where it is desirable driver or occupant may know., by the indior necessary to reduce or prevent the binding cation 4,afforded by the screen, whether the effects of aglaring light or lights in the visual indications respecting the position of an approaching automobile in a direction also produce a visual indication of the relal other or approaching automobile is on the eyes of an observer, for indicating the relal" proper side of the roadway to permit pastive position of a light or illuminated object sage safely, or whether the other automobile 1n front of the screen and. in a direction is moving across the roadway. laterally thereof, and for indicating the rela- I l A further object of the invention is to tive or approximate distance of an appigggach-;

provide a screen of this character 4which is ing light or illuminated object in front of capable of indicating to the driver or occuthe screen, or for any one or more of these pant of an automobile its relative distance purposes. The invention, however, is parfrom an approaching automobilefbe'aring lticul'arly applicable to automobiles and simiheadlights, thus coiiducing to the safe paslar vehicles for the purpose of protectingl night, specially on unilluminated roadways. fects of strong headlights "on approaching To these and other ends, the invention automobiles while driving at night. i The consists in certain improvements which will invention is shown. in the present instance be hereinafter set forth, the features of as'applied to the glass or transparent panel novelty being pointed out particularly in the of an automobile windshield, but it is to be 50 claims at the end of the specification. In the accompanying drawing Figure l' represents in elevation a conventional foi-rn of' wind shield such as Aused understood that equivalent ways of applying the invention are contemplated and will be 'included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, 1 represents an sage of automobiles or other vehicles at the driver or occupant thereof from the efautomobile Wind shield which may be of any of the usual or commonly used 4types and having a vglass panel?, lwhichisicommonly located directly in front-of the 'driver or other occupant or occupants of the"fr"ont` Y glass of suitable and preferably directly /inmfilont the d'iivers point ,of vision,'a l` though it Will be understood that the'sereen may be located at other `points on Windshield glass, it may be of different 'sizes' to -include more or less ofthe wind shield glass or, vifdesired, duplicate screens maybe pro'- vided at' the OPPOSit- Sides of the'1 vind glass for the useof the respective `occupants ofthe front seat of the automobile. The screen comprises a modified surface ot the glass panel 2, the screen being preferably formal 0n the rear Side ofthe 'Wind 'shield' glass; and the screen is produced vvpreferably by grinding the surface of the glass by moving an abrading implement in an arc of a circle having a definite or fixed center or axis to produce a great number of shallow closely spaced scratches or lines, the surface ground in this Way 'being then `polished by movement of a polishing medium in the same arcuate direction and about the same center on which' the grinding operation Was performed to Alinishthe screen. For example, in swinging or moving the abrading tool to and fro a suitable number of times about the center o, agreat number lof shallow, closely spaced scratches or lines 4 are formed on the surface of the glass and these scratches or lines are all concentric with the center o. -This center 0 may be located either. on or Within the edge of the glass panel or it may be lo-v cated beyond such edge', and thef'screen is preferably arcuate in form, substantiallyas shown. By grinding the smooth surface of a plate or dra-Wn glass-panel in the manner described, the concentric shallow, closelyspaced scratches, lines or grooves 4 are formed in the surface, as shoivn exaggerated inFiguie 4, leaving intervening plane'or ungrooved portions 5 of the surface of the glass panel, and by polishing the surface aften the grinding treatment has been performed, these intervening plane or ungrooved portions 5 of the surface of the glass panel and the scratches, lines` or grooves also` to some extent at least` are rendered suiliciently transparent to afford clear vision through the screen, i

In using a screen of' this 'character upon an automobile Wind shield, thescreen will the s glass occupy a position in front of the driver or occupant thereof, and in the line of vision of the "driver or occupant when looking 4straight ahead. The screen is preferably locat'ed so that its center 0 Will be approximately or substantially in vertical alinenient With't-he line of vision of the driver or occupant behind it when looking straight ahea'dl` The illuminated headlights H and Hf of an approaching automobile in front` of the'screen"\vill'"project light upon the screen. The light beainsA and A from theheadlightsll and respectively, uill pass througlifthe screen tothe"eye! or ofthe observerbehind the screen, 'produc- Vcleariiinages ofthese headlights in the eyesI oftheobserver, which imagesappear toioccupy the lpositions designated 7i. and t, respectively,oii the screen. The light raysl C'andC from ythe headlights `H and H `upon"str ilring'the screen ivilrbe reflectedr refracted the concentric lines' 4' of the screen," thus producing luminous lines 'or ldsD `land Df, Vbofthfo'f Which'are radial retire' center" 1o "er are screen. If ai@ :point is AiIiv'e'rtical aliiiement `with the center o Vof thenscieen and the headliglitsof tlie'appitoaching automobile are directly in front` ,ofI tlielscreen, the luminous lines or bands l)h and D. will entei'id'substantially vertically to the center of the screen, thus indicating .,th,at the approaching automobile aifeuy in freni' ai 'the Screen. if, iiyevea 9] the headlightsnl-l and Hf' areA 'to the left 195 ofthe observer occupying a position behind thescieen, inconsequencc of ivhiclji the lu minous liiiesbr bands D and D appear. on flieleft-hand side of the screen, as viewed by the observer. i i i i ',Furth rmore, the screen may be used to indicate the approximate distancevofan` ap- -i preaching automobile xvitlilliiifinited headlights. lVhen theilluininated headlights ot the approaching automobile are at a con sideiabie distance, thev images/L and It will appear to be nearer the center 0 of the screen and smaller in size and spaced more closely than when the approaching illuminated screen, the images of the headlights then appearing nearer the circumferential edge of the screen and larger and spaced apart ,20 headlights are 1n closer proximity to the a, greater. distance as, for example, as in- 1 ,5

The screen provided by the present invention affords ample clear Vision therethrough to enable-.an observer positioned behind the screen and looking through it to obtain a clear view of objects in front of the screen, although it will prevent glare in the eyes of the observer from strong or blinding.'

headlights. Moreover, it affords an indication of the position or direction of movement of an automobile bearing illuminating headlights or an illuminated object in a `direction transversely of a roadway, or the direction of` movement of the automobile or vehicle carrying the screen, thus conducing to safe passage of automobiles or vehicles while travelling along roadways at night. Moreover, the screen affords an approximate indication of the distance of an approaching automobile bearing illuminating headlights, thus increasing the safety in the movements of automobiles. By forming the screen directly on the glass panel of the wind shield, the ordinary usefulness of the wind shield is not impaired and, moreover, the functioning of the screen is not impaired or altered if the wind shield glass is placed at different inclinations to the vertical, so that the use of the screen may be continued, although it is formed on thel hinged or Ventilating panel of a wind shield and such panel is swung upwardly to different angles.

I claim as my invention zl. An anti-glare observation screen forA vehicle windshields located in the line of vision therethrough and comprising a transparent panel having a series of concentric shallow lines ground in a surface thereof with intervening plane clear vision portions, said lines and clear vision portions forming a screen through which objects in front thereof may be seen, the lines being operative to produce from the light rays from an illuminated object in front of the screen, in the eyes of an observer behind it, a luminous band which is radial to said concentric lines and which shifts angularly in accordance with relative movements of the object in directions transverse to the line of vision, thus indicating to the observer behind it the relative positions of the object in front of the screen.

2. A windshield for vehicles comprising a transparent panel having a series of concentric grooves formed in a surface thereof and occupying an arcuate area thereon in the line of vision therethrough, and plane clear vision portions of said surface intervening between the grooves, said grooves and intervening clear vision portions forming an antiglare observation screen through which an illuminated object in front of it may be observed and which will produce from the light rays from such object, and in the eyes of an observer behind the screen, luminous bands vwhich occupy different angular positions according to the relative positions occupied by the illuminated object.

,3. An anti-glare screen for automobile Aivindshields comprising a sheet of glass haviing an arcuate area of a surface thereof formed with a series of concentric lines which will produce in the eye of an observer behind the screen viewing through the screen a light in front thereof an image of a luminous band which extends radially of said lines, the screen also embodying clear-vision areas between said concentric lines through which objects in front of the screen will be visible.

4. An automobile windshield having the portion ofthe surface of its glass panel in the line of vision therethrough formed with a series of concentric lines with intervening plane clear vision areas, said lines being operative to produce in the eye of an observer behind the windshield viewing therethrough a light in front of the windshield an image of a luminous band which appears radial to said concentric lines and at an angle about their center which is determined according to the lateral position of the light in front of the windshield.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN I. COPE. 

